Hello, our family is taking a trip to Puerto Vallarta this February. Our son is allergic to peanuts and also has asthma. Does anyone know how to translate into Spanish.."My son is severely allergic to peanuts" Also any tips on eating there? Thanks so much for your help.

You can order a printed copy of your allergens in your prefered language, probably spanish and english when going to mexico.

We were in mexico last april without our children. Our hotel was a scary place for those with allergies. My husband is allergic to fish and tree nuts and eggs. The locals who worked at the resort really had no concept of what an allergy is...and did not get it. I guess among their people it is not as common as it is for us, and most people here don't get it either. They would cook shellfish in a pan, and then cook chicken in the same pan!!! And they were really not able to answer your questions about oils used or other ingredients.

Packaged food from stores (like chips etc.) was scary too. They might be 10 ingredients on a package of chips in spanish, and 8 in english. Makes you wonder what 2 ingredients you are eating without knowing. Pueta Viarta should have a "Sams Club", Cancun had one. It is a whole sale club owned by walmart. You may be able to contact walmart company to see if they sell any safe treats there, rather than purchasing at a convienience store on the side of the highway.

Take lots of epipens, and phone ahead to find a hotel with the capability of thouroughly understanding the severity of allergies. Allergies are not as common in developing countries, so make sure those in charge of your meals really understand. Either one who caters to kids...or one who is a part of a U.S. chain would probably be the best place to start.

I'm not sure if you are aware of this, but you can phone your airline in advance and request a peanut free flight. Most airlines will accomidate since the air on the plane is circulated. My daughters gymnastics coach has a nephew with peanut allergy who was on a peanut free flight. The flight attendants announced it at the beginning of the flight that they would not be allowing any peanuts or products containing peanuts to be consumed. A passenger opened a snickers bar midflight. It was taken away immediately, the passenger was in big trouble ( Air marshalls were involved ), and the bar was wrapped in plastic and disposed of in a airtight container, that would not break open in the event of a crash.

Food entering a new country must be declared. Some foods ( like produce and meat) are forbidden from entering. I took in gum and cough drops no problem. You could phone the airline to see if any sealed, new packaged foods (ex. cheerios, cookies, chips ) would be allowed in in your checked luggage. That way you would have safe snacks from home. You would have to declare them ( you are given a form mid flight to fill in ), but it might be okay if you call ahead and ask for permission prior to the flight. Or maybe the airline could let you know what kind of foods are acceptable to bring into mexico. Declare ALL foods, do not try to sneak anything in. They open and search a lot of luggage and you do not want to be found with undeclared food.

Take your epi-pens on board. It is best to have a written statement from your doctor or allergist stating that you need the medication with you at all times. That way you will not be denied bringing your epipens on board.

You could call your allergist and see if he suggests bringing any other medicines with you, or how many epi pens he feels that you should bring. Most resorts have doctors and medical facilities so guests do not have to leave the resort to find a "back alley physician". Any other medicines ( ex. steroids ) that you might need in the event of a reaction, might be useful to bring with you since they might not be readily available in mexico.

My family doctor gave me antibiotics to take with me, incase I needed them, since I am allergic to penicillan. He felt that it was better to have something that I know that I am okay with rather than risk getting sick and needing to see a doctor in mexico.

Kerricku, I hope you have a great holiday! There are several possible reasons allergies are not as prevalent in Mexico; food allergies are primarily found in developed countries. There are other threads in this forum that discuss this, but some of the theories as to why allergies are on the increase are due to several possible factors: 1) developed nations are "too clean" - thus not allowing our bodies to develop proper immunities 2) hormone and chemically modified foods. These two factors (and others) are possiblities in developed nations where these conditions exist.

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: Yvonne and 2 guests

You cannot post new topics in this forumYou cannot reply to topics in this forumYou cannot edit your posts in this forumYou cannot delete your posts in this forumYou cannot post attachments in this forum